Hell Riders

If you are bored and have an hour and a half to kill, you could do worse, but, you would really have to try. It's good for a couple of laughs, but overall, it's pretty generic.

This movie feels like someone watched a biker movie in their dream and then got an A. I. to recreate the movie from what they remembered. "I remember Batman was in it but he was a doctor, Ginger from Gilligan's Island, a naked woman on a chain leash, bikers with skulls on their patches, and most of it was filmed on a set that looked like a frontier town from a western."

My review was written in May 1985 after watching the movie on Trans World Entertainment video cassette.

"Hell Riders" is a meek attempt to resuscitate the biker action genre of two decades back. Already released on video cassette, this 1983 production has little theatrical potential outside the drive-in circuit.

Adam West toplines as Dr. Dave Stanley, physician in the small town of Ransburg beset by the violent Hell Riders biker gang. Besides the local folks, also terrorized is Claire (Tina Louise), a former Las Vegas blackjack dealer on the road.

Archaic cheapie features okay stunt work but an uninteresting, trite story. Predictably, West saves the day. Film culminates nastily when the townsfolk band together to mercilessly shoot down the bikers like dogs. Pic is more professionally executed than producer Renee Harmon's prior work (such as "Executioner Part Ii" and "Frozen Screams") but acting by the supporting cast is amateurish (biker extras are credited here as "Rent-a-Gang"). Harmon also casts herself as a saistic, overage biker -campy at best.

This has got to be one of the worst movies ever made. Even for a biker movie, it's rock bottom. The minimal plot involves a gang of bikers taking over a small town (how original!) and the townspeople's attempts to fight them off. Why don't they call for outside help? Who knows? The fight scenes are obviously fake. Adam West and Tina Louise are in it but both have little to do and both look ashamed to be there (understandably) This movie belongs in the trash heap!

What else can you say about this movie,except that it's plain awful.Tina Louise and Adam West are the reasons why to see this,but,that's it,but their talents are wasted in this junk.I think that they used a double in some of Adam's scenes,like when he's running because you can't see his face.If Adam was embarrassed in being in Zombie Nightmare,just think what he must've felt about appearing in this??? If it was before or after,I'm not sure,but,still,Zombie Nightmare is a classic(check out the Mystery Science Theater 3000 version first and last)compared to this.The gang is very annoying and over-acting by some of the actors.A rip-off of The Wild One starring Marlon Brando,of course.Tina looks stunning though.I hope her and Adam got a good paycheck!! Pass!